Aftermath
by textbooknarcissist
Summary: 5 times the bunny makes an appearance in their lives. Post IM3.
1. Aftermath

**A/N: **I loved the Bunny. It was awesome and looked like Pepper.

**IM3 Spoilers. You've been warned.**

**Disclaimer: As much as I try to convince myself, I own nothing.**

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**Aftermath**

_**or**_

**Return of the Giant Bunny**

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Somewhere between evil villains, near-death experiences and nightmares, she realises she wants to marry him.

His -_their- _beautiful mansion is now reduced to wrecks lying under the ocean; both of them lifelessly sit in her office, trying to get some sleep. It's eerie when all the lights are gone and she can't find the soft blue glow emanating from his chest. They sit on adjacent couches, staring emptily at the ceiling. It's hard to close her eyes because all she can see is him being dragged down into the ocean; he told her all he can see is her falling into the fire. Safe to say, it's going to haunt them all their lives.

In the pale moonlight, she looks at him, bruises and scars marring his beautiful face; exhaustion clearly visible in his slumped posture. She muses over how many more nemeses they both might have to face before they can finally live in peace. She muses over how long it will take before the cracks deepen and break them completely. Over how long it will be until one of them doesn't survive these near-death experiences and the other is left heartbroken, lamenting over what could have been.

Then, in a moment completely ruled by impulse, she says, "Marry me."

A moment of deathly silence passes and Pepper wonders if she should be regretting what she said.

"Why?" his soft voice gives away no emotion. So far, she regrets nothing.

You know why. "

In her head, she sees him slipping beneath the debris, but instead of hearing his voice inside the helmet, knowing that he's alive, she sees him dying. She'll hate him for putting her before himself. She'll love him for the same reason. She'll be forced to live because she knows he wouldn't want her to kill herself, though she'll never know the difference between dying and living without him. She'll probably live in the Stark tower and (cry herself to) sleep on his side. She'll look at holograms and think of him; she'll sign files and think of him; she'll look at her blackberry and think of him; when she'll hear the sound of metal, she'll expect to hear "Honey, I'm home" and "Kiss my booboos and ouchies" and "Who needs a hospital when I've got a sexy nurse right here?"but it'll never come.

So yes, he should know why.

He straightens himself and walks over to her, bending to his knees. Taking hold of her hands, he stares at them and says, "It's not safe."

"When has it ever been?" she argues. "You can't put me in any more danger than I'm already in. I signed up for this Tony. I am not going to let you get rid of me. That's a promise I made a long time ago to myself, and I know you'll try to leave me sooner or later because there will always be someone out there trying to kill you. I can't let you do that. "

"Pepper-" he says painfully.

"How many more birthdays or anniversaries or date nights are we going to survive? We're both only just scraping by Tony; frankly, I don't think we have much time, and whatever time we have, I don't want to cry about it, I don't want to have nightmares about death, I want to spend it with the man I love. Come on, Stark, someone's offering to be your _goddamn wife_ and you want to be a _pussy_ about it?"

"I never thought someone would want to be my wife." He chuckles softly and plays with her fingers, his eyes still downcast.

"I do. Very much."

He looks up with a jerk, tears glistening in his molten brown eyes, the shadow of doubt swiftly vanishing from them.

With a sharp intake of breath, he finally says, "Yes."

She leans in and smiles broadly against his wild, thick hair. Looking up, he matches her smile with a grin of his own, and then pulls her off the couch into a tight embrace, running his hands through her hair. The embrace is a first since she saw all the suits explode in the night sky, and she cherishes this much more, knowing that they're both fine, as compared to that moment filled with anxiety and disbelief.

"I don't have a ring or anything." He suddenly whispers in her ear.

"You don't need to give me one." She reassures, breaking apart.

"I'll get you something better," he pulls her in again, kissing her fully on the mouth."Something meaningful."

"Yeah," she breathes against his mouth after they break apart. "Be glad I'm not demanding."

He buys her the giant bunny again as an engagement present. It says 'Thank you Pepper' (because he felt he didn't seem grateful enough for her) and seems to stare at her in the most creepy, sinister way possible when she gets up at night for water.

She swears she'll keep it until her last breath.

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Review please :)


	2. Meeting the Mother

**A/N: I decided to do this a bunny thing, but it's really all the important moments in Tony and Pepper's life where the bunny was present. Which is pretty much all of them.**

**Dialogue Only. Starts with Pepper.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing at all.**

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**Meeting the Mother**

_**or**_

**__Should I get A Smaller Bunny?**

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"Unn huhhnn. Oh God."

"You're late."

"You're awake."

"I couldn't sleep. You weren't home."

"How did you manage before me?"

"Well, I hardly ever slept considering-"

"You can stop right there."

"You've become my habit."

"I don't want to become your habit. You have bad habits."

"That's mean."

"So are you."

"…."

"Goodnight, Tony."

"…." "You haven't talked to me since-"

"Tony."

"I'm sorry Pepper."

"For what? Running away with Rhodey to Vegas for 2 days without telling me or switching off both your cell phones so no one could know if you're alive?"

"Couldn't have put it better."

"You could've just said sorry when Jim did."

"Didn't realise it until now- when you didn't return home and I thought-"

"You thought what I thought when you were gone. I know."

"It fucking sucked. I-"

"-No need to swear-"

"-wanted to rip someone's head off and throw it in the ocean."

"That's some violent imagery."

"I can't live without you. I can't."

"Oh, believe me, I know."

"Can you live without me?"

"I don't think so."

"Guess we've been through too much together, huh?"

"Tell Jim I'm not angry with him anymore."

Will do. Although he might be too hung over to even open his eyes."

"Ruined my only good man, did you?"

"Anyways, I've learnt from my punishment-"

"My mom wants to meet you- you know, now that you are her future son-in-law."

"That's why you're talking to me. Is that where you were?"

"No. She wants us to come this Sunday."

"Okay then, clear my schedule- and yours too. Yours is the worst."

"You….don't have any qualms about this?"

"No."

"You're not afraid?"

"You're my fiancée now and I haven't knocked you up _yet_. What should I be afraid of?"

"_Yet? _What do you mean-"

"Does she like gifts?"

"I'll get her something she likes. You don't need to-"

"Why can't _I_ get her a gift?"

"Tony, the last 2 gifts you gave me were a giant bunny and a giant bunny."

"You're never going to let that go, are you? It's always on your mind."

"Tony, it's a freakishly giant bunny, Of Course It's Always on My Mind!"

"Calm down, cranky pants. You loved it when I got it."

"Forget it. We were having an important conversation."

"Yeah, okay, look. I'm fine. I wanted to meet your mother since we started dating, but for obvious reasons and the fact that she wanted to throw your heels at me, we couldn't. Of course she's going to hate me because I'm me; most girls' mothers hate me. Plus, I'm Iron Man and that very fact puts my wife, her daughter in mortal peril."

"Tony-"

"But I'm going to tell her how much I love you and how I blew up all my suits for you and how I would do anything to keep you alive, and maybe if she understands any of this she won't hate me so much."

"You're forgiven."

"Wow. That's what does the trick. Long speeches- I'll remember that next time. By the way, I went to Vegas to get your ring."

"You could've told me that yesterday."

"You were too pissed to talk. I wanted to give it to you when you were in a good mood."

"You're incorrigible."

"Isn't that why you begged me to marry you?"

"Everything I say just feeds your ego, doesn't it?"

"And yet, it's still only the size of New York. I'm aiming for Asia."

"Give it to me now?"

"The ring? No, it's not the moment. Maybe on Sunday, if everything goes well."

"Call me Pep again."

"When did I-"

"Just say it."

"Okay…what's up Pep? …Why are you crying?"

"That's the last thing you said to me. Before you left. These were your last words to me- kind of."

"So?"

"I like hearing you say it."

"Okay. So?"

"Don't die, okay?"

"I won't."

"Good, because I want to hear it at least a million times more."

"You want me to get Jarvis to record it for you...Pep?"

"I prefer it live."

"You never cease to amaze me. What if I get her a smaller bunny?"

"This was fun, but I'm too sleepy to continue."

"I'll take that as a yes."

"She hates rabbits. I have a meeting at 9 tomorrow…oh today, and its 5, so I'll just…sleep now."

"Okay. Don't get up before 10, I like waking up next to you."

"Anthony Edward Stark…"

"What?"

"…okay."

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"Ma?"

"Ginny, hi-"

"I'm so sorry Ma, I didn't know he was going to ambush me like this-"

"Oh it's no-"

"-we were going to come tomorrow-"

"It's fine Ginny, he's blending in very well here. I quite like him now...oh Tony, be careful dear, that one's not very friendly!"

"He's what?"

"Yeah, he's in the shed. Cleo's teaching him to milk Jenny."

"Tony's milking a cow?"

"Looks like he's having fun…oh, he says 'hi' dear."

"What did he do to you Ma?"

"Ginny, he loves you very much. I see it in his eyes when he talks about you- which is all we did, by the way."

"Oh god, he extorted all my childhood memories from you, didn't he?"

"Don't worry, I didn't tell him about Reggie Miller and the strawberries. But I did tell him about the one where you got your pigtails stuck in the-"

"Ma, that's the worst!"

"He'll keep you safe, Ginny. He promised me he'd do anything."

"I know. Anyways, you don't have a problem with us getting married, right?"

"Of course she doesn't. Ginny. Virginia."

"Don't call me that. And give the phone back to Ma, Tony; I'm still mad at you."

"Oh come on, it went so well, and I went totally southern! I even said Howdy to your uncle! This is great fun, by the way; we should visit your house more often."

"While I sit here stranded in D.C with a bunch of directors who refuse to get off my ass."

"I promise, I'm coming to get you tonight. And I'm getting the ring. Your mother seemed stunned when I showed it to her. And before you ask, yes, I showed it to her and I also asked for permission to marry you- the old-fashioned way."

"Tony, I….thank you. For once you behaved well. Ma sounds very happy with you."

"This was important for me. I wasn't going to let me screw it up. Plus, I did butter her up with that porcelain crockery set she always wanted."

"How did you know that?"

"I listen sometimes."

"Great, even Ma got a better gift than me."

"Hey, you got me. There is no better present."

"I…..I agree. The ring looks beautiful, by the way."

"Yeah?"

"Uh huh. It's still in its box though."

"It is?"

"Yes. You're going to put it on my finger when you come, aren't you?"

"Definitely. Will that be all, Ms Potts?"

"For now, Mr Stark, that will be all."

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Review please :)


	3. Best Decision Ever

**A/N: Sorry for being so late- I was on vacation!  
Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing at all.**

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**Best Desicion Ever**

_**or**_

**Bunny Crashes Wedding**

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Outside his tent, there's a beautifully green lawn. The smell of freshly cut grass, lilies and roses is wafting in the air. About two hundred lawn chairs (now filled with people) are eagerly waiting for him. Inside, Rhodey's fixing their suits; Bruce is rubbing his hands nervously, looking more like the groom than the groomsman. All he can think of is strawberries- luscious, succulent, bright red strawberries- which is weird, because Pepper hates strawberries. He has to settle for it because this is what goes on in the mind of Tony Stark- it's never in the right place at the right time.

To be honest, he wants to get the pre-wedding jitters, because that would be more Tony-ish; to panic, do something foolish and have Pepper clear up after him. But the tables have turned this time; he's supposed to be the sane one, and if he does try to go insane, there'll be no Pepper- not just to clear his messes, she won't be there at all. And he can't afford that. He simply can't. Also, he knows he's never felt more confident of doing anything more than now.

Pepper, always the perfectionist and control freak wanted to arrange her simple wedding on her own; he can't find a single flaw, obviously. Although the venue looks naturally gorgeous with the white lilies and green grass, there's an added touch to it that makes it a Stark wedding. She's been (somewhat) considerate of his wishes, even adding the gold ribbons and genetically altered red and gold roses on his insistence. Thankfully they don't look tacky or out of place; they just seem like they belong there beside her lilies.

He takes his place on the stage and looks around, acknowledging the encouraging smiles of his 200 guests with a nervous one of his own; his hands keep fiddling with his watch (which calls the emergency suit he made when she literally _begged_), because he's half-sure a villain will attack them in the middle of the wedding and Pepper will go completely bridezilla on him/her, and he doesn't want any creature to face her wrath; it's bad enough that he caught a glimpse of it when he impulsively and oh-so foolishly suggested that they elope- a suggestion that the flustered Pepper (in midst of wedding brochures and guest lists) didn't seem to appreciate. At all.

Although, he realises as he scans the first row, he wouldn't have to worry about that even the least bit. Steve and Clint, sharply dressed in tuxedos, Thor, managing to put on a jacket over his dress shirt, and Natasha who has cleaned up the best in her red gown, all sit ready; he knows they have his back- which is good, because he doesn't want to don any other suit than the one he's wearing.

Out of a hundred things going on in his head, he ends up imagining Pepper in her dress. She's been sneaky about it, strictly ordering Jarvis (who was virtually always on her side) to conceal any information about it. he's spent endless nights thinking about this- it seems to be the one thing that makes him excited and not-nervous-at-all about the wedding. He's still an infant with the rest of this stuff.

She arrives in her pristine white gown, fluffed up like a princess's. Her flaming red hair is tamed in a bun, but she's let a few locks slip out of it because she knows he likes it. The necklace is still there like he hoped, glimmering in the sunlight. He can't wipe off that silly wide grin off his face. She glances at her flowers, then at her guests, then at Happy, who gingerly kisses her cheek and wishes her luck. She gives him a thankful smile and then her eyes are on him, gleaming with pride and love. This is the woman he's going to love and cherish for the rest of his life, and she's perfect to a fault.

In those moments, when he hears her saying 'I do', when she seals their lips in a kiss so gentle and warm that he could've melted into that moment, when she's swaying in her arms, he knows- that even though he's made more than a hundred bad decisions that he'll probably regret all his life and he's surely going to make a hundred more, this will be the one good decision he'll live by.

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Two weeks later, there's an album on his coffee table. When he scans through it, some of them really catch his eye. He sees a Polaroid of them dancing, eyes only for each other, laughing at a joke he'd cracked about Steve and Bruce shaking a leg; then there's the one after their first kiss when she's playfully hitting his arm because he announced 'yeah bitches, I'm off the table!'; there's one Happy took for which they exclusively posed- she's leaning into his shoulder and he's biting her hair and she looks completely oblivious to that fact. Then he notices something else.

The giant bunny is standing far behind in the corner, in each of these pictures.

He hasn't seen that bunny for 6 months now, because Pepper stashed it in the storage citing lack of space. He protested very little to her decision for once. Honestly he was getting a little weary of moving it out of the way every time he wanted to sleep peacefully without feeling two giant bunny eyes prying on him. He shouts for her and she comes sprinting in, with a concerned look on her face.

"Why was the bunny at our wedding?" he asks genuinely, still shocked and amused that he missed the ginormous stuffed toy.

She lets out a sigh of relief, and then shrugs. "He's family now."

"Wasn't the priest creeped out a little?" he asks in amusement, pulling her into his lap.

"It was Rhodey who needed convincing actually, carrying that thing around everywhere." She laughs. It's music to his ears.

"That explains why I didn't see him after the ceremony." He smiles. "Aren't you a softie, Mrs Stark? Bringing that ugly bunny you hated so much to your wedding?"

"I'll let you on a little secret, Mr Stark," she pauses and leans in, "The day I saw this bunny outside the mansion is the day I realized you're a keeper. Okay, I agree that I hated it, but the fact that you bought me something like that, that you even wanted to buy me a Christmas present- I don't know. Anyways, I had to show my gratitude, didn't I?" then she leans back as if she said nothing, snatches the album from his hand and excitedly flips through it, laughing and crying as she watches the most important day of their lives condensed into one book. He's left dumbstruck, and gently shifts out of the chair, retreating to his workshop. _Ah, the domesticity of the Stark Mansion._

This is Pepper Potts-Stark - CEO of a multinational corporation, resident badass who killed the Mandarin, Iron Man's babysitter, the woman who can scare the shit out of the Board of Directors and sue 50 companies simultaneously, and now a family woman who cares about a stuffed animal being present at her wedding.

_Yes, _he tells himself with conviction, _best decision ever._

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**Reviews would be amazeballs.**


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